Legal Gambling Age in the USA By State

 

Minimum Age for Casino, Sports & Poker Gambling in the USA

Some of the boxes include N/A, which means that particular form of gambling is either illegal or not offered within the state. Other boxes include two ages, which means the legal gambling age can vary depending on which casino or sports betting venue you attend within a particular state.

Which States Allow Players to Gamble At 18?

Tribal casinos, especially across reservations throughout the US, are exempt from some of the stricter regulations imposed by certain states. Once you enter a reservation, the gambling age changes from 21 to 18. Other states have set their legal gambling age to 18+ across the board.

However, that doesn’t mean 18 – 20 year olds can drink alcohol at tribal or state-run casinos. All that said, we’ve listed the states that permit casino and poker gambling for 18+ year olds.

• Wyoming: All tribal casinos have an 18+ age requirement.
• Washington: All tribal casinos have an 18+ age requirement.
• Minnesota: Land-based casinos accept 18+ year old players.
• Montana: All tribal casinos have an 18+ age requirement.
• New York: Resorts World Casino has an 18+ age restriction.
• Oklahoma: Oklahoma has tribal casinos that are 18+ only.
• Michigan: Tribal casinos are 18+, and commercial casinos are 21+.
• Idaho: Minimum gambling age is 18, but some casinos only accept 21+ year olds.
• Georgia: No land-based casinos, but you can take a cruise when you’re 18+.
• Florida: You can play poker and bingo at 18+, but casino gaming is 21+ only.
• California: Some tribal casinos + card rooms have a minimum age of 18+.

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The Legal Gambling Age for Sports Betting

Sports betting isn’t nearly as popular as casino gambling, and it’s still illegal or not offered in 24 US states. As online betting continues to get even more popular post-pandemic, we expect sports betting options to skyrocket in availability. Most states have a 21+ limit on sports betting.

At the time of writing, the only exception to this rule is Rhode Island. Please note that horse racing and daily fantasy sports (DFS) don’t fall under the umbrella of traditional sports bets. Many states place an 18+ age restriction on horse racing wagers and fantasy sports betting.

Legal Casino Age Throughout the USA

Casino gambling is, without a doubt, the most popular form of gambling in the USA. Outside of places like Atlantic City and Las Vegas, there are multiple casinos in 44 out of 50 states. Even in Georgia, which doesn’t have any land-based casinos, you can hop on a cruise to play games.

The US government has agreements in place with tribal reservations, which operate by their own set of rules. Certain tribes also run casinos in major metropolitan areas! They’re permitted to accept players who are 18+ years old, even if the state usually implements a 21+ restriction.

Legal Gambling Age for Bingo

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The majority of states allow bingo players to be 18+ years or older, and three states allow them to be as young as 16. If you’re a high school junior in Maine, Ohio, or Oklahoma, you can legally gamble on bingo. Only four states impose a 21+ age restriction for bingo gambling IRL or online.

Alaska is the only state with a minimum age requirement of 19+ for real money bingo players!

Legal Gambling Age for Poker

A healthy mixture of states offer land-based poker halls, usually run by tribal casinos. In those states, you can play poker for real money at the age of 18. However, online poker is generally restricted to 21+ year olds. Just don’t try to waltz into Atlantic City or Vegas as an 18-year-old.

Legal Age for Online Gambling

Federally speaking, online casinos in the United States restrict players to being 21+ years of age or older. While some states have the liberty of drawing up their own age restrictions, the federally legal gambling age is 21. The only exceptions to this rule are sweepstakes casinos!

What Are Sweepstakes Casinos & Are They Legal in the USA?

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Sweepstakes casinos, otherwise known as social casinos, take advantage of their legal status to offer casino-style games without putting any real money on the line. They’re legal in 46 of the 50 US states – Washington, Idaho, Nevada and Michigan are the only four states where social casinos aren’t permitted.

Sweepstakes casino sites use virtual currencies (such as Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins) with the goal of playing for fun, or for winning “prizes.” Gold Coins, which you can buy with cash, are used to play casino games just for entertainment. When you win Sweeps Coins while playing casino games, you can exchange them for prizes.

They’re not quite like traditional online casinos, but sweepstakes casinos scratch the itch for players who enjoy a great deal of slots and classic table games. You can also play for free!

If you want our advice, we’ve done the research to review three popular sweepstakes casinos.

What Happens If You’re Caught Gambling While Underage?

The legal gambling age for casino games is never lower than 18. If you’re caught gambling as a minor, the consequences can be relatively severe. People convicted of underage gambling may receive a penalty up to $1,000 or have their driver’s license suspended for a max of six months.

In some states, you might face prison time or have a permanent blot on your criminal record. It is a misdemeanor to gamble while underage in all US states, which means you could receive up to 364 days in jail. Parents can also be found guilty if they knowingly let their child gamble.

Will Sin City Ever Lower The Minimum Casino Age to 18?

If you’re old enough to serve in the military, you’re old enough to gamble in Las Vegas – at least, that’s what Assemblyman Ken Gray argued when he proposed a bill aiming to lower Nevada’s legal gambling age to 18. While he introduced the bill in 2017, it was shot down fairly quickly.

Considering the financial status of most 18 year olds and the issue of trying to buy a drink while you’re technically underage, Nevada lawmakers argued that lowering the legal gambling age for casino betting is more trouble than it’s worth.

Casinos also make a ton of money from alcohol sales, which explains their hesitancy to accept 18+ year old players who can freely gamble (but are unable to legally drink alcohol).

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How Old Do You Have to Be to Gamble Online?

Unless you’re playing with the best sweepstakes casinos, you must be 21+ years old to gamble with casinos online. Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Rhode Island offer legal and regulated casino gaming from the comfort of home.

While online casino gaming has been legalized in Rhode Island, they’re expected to begin their roll-out in March 2024. Gov. Dan McKee signed this new stipulation into law on June 20, 2023.

Should You Gamble With Traditional or Sweepstakes Casinos?

If you’re not keen on placing bets with traditional casinos (or you live in a state where casinos are difficult to find), sweepstakes casinos are a great alternative! WOW Vegas, Vegas Gems, and High 5 offer a leading selection of slots and table games that are just like the real thing.

Social casinos require you to use in-game currency, and you’re usually given some to start off with for free. That said, it’s easy to purchase in-game currency using a debit card or e-wallet.

Even if you’re not looking to spend any money, sweepstakes casinos are all about having fun!

Reference:

Nevada Assembly Bill 86 Legiscan. Available at: https://legiscan.com/NV/text/AB86/2017 (Accessed: 20 December 2023).

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